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Exercising With Asthma

Having an action plan can help many people with the condition remain active.

For Rachel Lewis, life with severe allergic asthma is “an everyday struggle” that makes physical activity very difficult. “I can’t exercise like other people,” she said.

Exercise doesn’t have to be off limits for most people with asthma, and it can sometimes help their condition. “Getting regular physical activity can improve your breathing and lead to fewer asthma attacks,” said Donna Wolf, PhD, a clinical research coordinator with the University of Virginia’s Division of Pediatric Respiratory Medicine and a clinical exercise physiologist. A sedentary lifestyle can lead to weight gain, and excess weight only makes asthma worse.

Patients need to consult their doctor to develop a safe workout routine and take proper precautions. They should continue to take any prescribed allergy and asthma drugs, and keep asthma rescue medication on hand when exercising. Working out with someone is always a good idea, in case you start to develop exercise-induced symptoms.

Being able to distinguish between the onset of an asthma attack and normal exertion during a workout can be tricky. “This can be hard, as both may show up with shortness of breath and tiredness,” said Andy Nish, MD, an allergist with Northeast Georgia Physicians Group Allergy and Asthma.

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) advises against vigorous activities like basketball, running, and cycling; instead, it suggests resistance training, baseball, and swimming. “Warm, moist air is good for asthmatics, so sports like swimming may be particularly good,” said Dr. Nish.

Wolf recommends activities that “let you control how hard and fast you breathe [and] let you breathe through your nose at all times.”

Cold air is a common asthma trigger, so people with asthma should take extra precautions when exercising in cooler weather. Stephen Rice, MD, director of the Jersey Shore Sports Medicine Center at Jersey Shore University Medicine Center, suggests wearing a scarf or surgical mask to cover your mouth and nose.

“At rest, the nose is able to condition air by providing it with heat and moisture. Such warmth and humidity protect the airway from constricting,” said Dr. Rice. “During intense exercise, when mouth breathing takes over, the respiratory system attempts to compensate.”

Regardless of the activity, the ACSM recommends a 15-minute warm-up to prepare your body and lungs before working out and a 15-minute cool-down after exercising to help regulate your breathing.

When working out indoors, exercise on a mat rather than carpeting. Carpets are magnets for allergens like animal dander and dust mites.

Breathing through your nose better filters out allergens and irritants in the air.

Working out at a gym can be problematic because you’re exposed to potential irritants such as air fresheners, disinfectant sprays, and deodorants. If that’s the case, you should move your workout to a more controlled environment.

If your asthma is too severe for most activities, ask your doctor about low-intensity alternatives like yoga.

If you have any doubt that your asthma symptoms are under control or you have a respiratory infection, your workout can wait.

Lewis, 30, knows that even with a workout action plan, managing allergic asthma while remaining active can be a huge challenge.

“[Living] in Texas, it’s windy and the dust doesn’t help,” she said. “Intense physical exertion just isn’t possible for me.”

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